Modified crank drive for feed bar drive and wing drive



Nov. 29, 1966 J. A. BALLO 3,288,095

MODIFIED CRANK DRIVE FOR FEED BAR DRIVE AND WING DRIVE Filed Oct. 2,1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 BLANK. MAGAYJ NE.

JAME$ A. BALLO INVENTOR. F70. Z

ATTORNEY.

Nov. 29, 1966 J. A. BALLO 3,288,095

MODIFIED CRANK DRIVE FOR FEED BAR DRIVE AND WING DRIVE Filed Oct. 2,1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 JAMES A. BALLO INVENTOR.

- v BY ATTORNEY.

Nov. 29, 1966 J. A. BALLO 3,288,095

MODIFIED CRANK DRIVE FOR FEED BAR DRIVE AND WING DRIVE Filed Oct. 2,1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 VENTOR. JA M55 5 4 Z10 BY I A 7'7'0rG/VEV Nov. 29,1966 J. A. BALLO 3,288,095

MODIFIED CRANK DRIVE FOR FEED BAR DRIVE AND WING DRIVE Filed Oct. 2,1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR, x/A/l/E A. 54110 Delaware Filed Get. 2,1963, Ser. No. 313,384 10 Claims. (Cl. 113-113) This invention relatesto an improvement in the power train of the feed mechanism and wingdrive of high speed machinery such as can body makers. In particular,the invention concerns the incorporation of dwell motion into the feedbar mechanism of a can body maker to reduce the velocity of the feed barat the time of impact against the work piece. Further, the inventionconcerns the wing drive of a can body maker and the use of dwell motionin the wing drive to reduce the impact of the wings against the canblank.

In can body making machinery, tin blanks are moved from station tostation by a reciprocating feed bar mechanism. The feed bar is equippedwith dogs which project above the elevation of the work table to engagea tin blank and move it to the next station. As the feed bar begins itsbackward stroke, the dogs retract and pass under the immediatelysucceeding tin blank, while an operation such as notching or crimping isbeing performed on the blank. With the forward stroke of the feed bar,the dogs again extend to engage the blank. The reciprocating motion ofthe feed bar thus moves the tin from station to station and eventuallyon to a horn where it is formed into a cylinder.

Each time the tin blank is moved to a successive station, the dogsstrike it when they engage the tin blank. A primary limitation upon thespeed of a can body maker is the velocity of the feed bar mechanism. Ifthe feed bar reciprocates' at extremely high velocity the impact of thedogs against the tin blank crimps and distorts the edge of the tinblank. In addition to the velocity of the feed bar, crimping of tinblanks is a function of the weight and thickness of the tin blank, thesize of the can and the length of the feed ba-r stroke. But generally,the limiting variable, with respect to any given size can, is thevelocity of the feed bar at the time of impact against the tin blank.Crimping renders the blanks useless and often jams the machine. Thus,when making cans four inches or larger, it is current practice in thecan industry to operate a can machine below about 400 cycles per minuteto avoid crimping tin when the dogs of the feed bar strike the tinblank.

It is an object of this invention to provide a high speed can body makercapable of operating at 50% or more increase in the feed bar velocitywithout crimping tin blanks. In particular, it is an object to provide acan body maker which can operate at 600 cycles per minute or moreutilizing cans of four inches or larger. A further object is toeliminate crimping and bending of can body blanks by reducing the impactof the dogs against the blank.

Another object of the invention is to accomplish the increase in canproduction through a mechanism which is adaptable for use in existingcan body making equipment. Still another object of the invention is adependable, durable, high speed feed trains for use in machines such ascan body makers.

When a can blank reaches the horn of the can body machine, it has beenflexed, knurled, notched and crimped. On the horn, the blank is formedinto a cylinder and closed. Wings form the blank into a cylinder byclosing the blank around the circular horn. The horn is expanded topositively interlock the folds at the overlapping States Patent PatentedNov. 29, 1966 edges of the blank, and the can is closed by the impact ofa hammer on the interlocking edges.

Forming the body of a can around the horn must be done precisely or thebody will not form a true cylinder. In the prior art, the impact of thewings against a tin blank often bent the blank or caused it to move outof position on the horn. A bent blank does not form a true cylinder,which makes it difficult or impossible to solder the can ends to form aseal. A blank which is moved out of position on the horn forms animperfect cylinder or a cylinder having angular ends. These cylindersare rejected since they cannot be properly soldered.

To avoid the forming problems caused by the impact of the wings againstthe can blank, the prior art incorporated into can machines apre-forming operation. In pre-forming the can blank is gradually formedinto a partial cylinder before it is placed on the horn under the wings.In this manner, the distance the wings must move the blank to interlockthe folded edges is reduced and the probability that the blank will bebent or moved out of position is also reduced.

An advantage of the present invention, when utilized in the wing driveof a can body maker, is that it reduces the impact of the wings on thecan blank and eliminated the need for pre-forming.

Another advantage of the invention is that it permits the wing drive tobe operated at higher speed.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a wing drivemechanism which reduces the impact of the wings on the can blank anddoes not bend the can blank or move it out of alinement on the horn.

The foregoing objects are accomplished through the invention:

(1) By incorporating into the feed bar drive mechanism means for causingthe feed bar to dwell before the dogs contact the work piece and tothereby reduce the velocity of the feed bar at the time it engages thework piece.

(2) By incorporating into the wing drive means for causing the wings todwell prior to contacting the can blank. In a preferred embodiment ofthe invention, the dwell is induced by a modified hypocycloidal crankdrive.

With reference to the feed bar mechanism, the invention embodies a worktable where a work piece is moved through successive operations by theaction of a reciprocating or oscillating feed means, which is driventhrough a link mechanism by a modified crank drive. Into the crank driveis incorporated means for producing a dwell motion of the feed means ata time in the cycle prior to the time when the feed means engages thework piece.

The feed mechanism is of the type which moves a work piece through aseries of operations in space relation, and is driven by a power train.The power train comprises a link means for connecting the feed mechanismof a machine and a modified crank drive. The link mechanism transmitsthe power supplied by the crank drive and converts the rotary motion ofthe crank into reciprocating motion of the feed mechanism. The essenceof the invention is the dwell motion of crank drive which is timed tocause the feed bar to hold behind the work piece for a period and thenmove into the work piece at a linear velocity lower than that normallyproduced by any given cycle speed at the point of impact in the cycle.

The wing mechanism comprises three basic parts: wings or jaws which openand close around a horn to form a work piece into a cylinder, link meanswhich transmit power to the wings, and drive means which operate throughthe link means to cause the wings to open and close around the horn.Preferably, the drive means is a modified hypocyloidal crank drivedesigned to impart to the wings a dwell motion which results in thewings striking a Work piece at a velocity lower than that normallyproduced by a given cycle speed at the point of impact in the cycle.

The hypocycloidal drive, of the preferred embodiments involves theconcurrent motion :of two shafts. One shaft is a driven shaft, the otheris drivingly connected to the first. The drive shaft rotates about itsaxis; the second shaft revolve with respect to the drive shaft, and thesecond shaft concurrently rotates about an axis removed from its ownaxis. The revolution of the drive shaft and the rotation of the secondshaft are timed so that, with respect to the link means, their motionswill, at a period in the major cycle of the crank, work to off-set eachother and cause the feed means or wings to dwell.

The members of the modified crank drive are the drive shaft, drivinglyconnected crank shaft and means for causing the crank shaft to rotateabout an axis, remote from its own, concurrently with the revolution ofthe drive shaft. More specifically, the modified crank drive is composedof a drive shaft and a crank shaft disposed at a distance from the driveshaft and connected to revolve with the drive shaft. The crank shaftcomprises two'sections, a gear and a crank shaft pin, i.e. a revolvingminor crank. The pin is afiixed to the gear and positioned eccentricallywith respect to the axis of the gear to produce the minor crank motion.A second stationary gear is positioned to intermesh with the crank shaftgear, thereby producing rotation of the crank shaft pin as the drivegear revolves.

There are six figures illustrating the invention and its utilization.

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a limited portion of a can body maker.This figure illustrates the relationship between the modified crankdrive, link means and the feed means.

FIGURE 2 is a detailed partial section of the modified crank drive; itis intended to illustrate the construction of the preferred embodiment.

FIGURES 3 and 4 are sections through the modified crank construction ofFIGURE 2. These figures specifically illustrate the motion of themodified crank drive.

FIGURE 5 is a front elevation of the wing drive mechanism showing theirrelative relationship.

FIGURE 6 is a partial cross section through a second embodiment of themodified hypocycloidal crank drive.

With reference to the feed bar mechanism, and specifically referring toFIGURE 1 of the invention, the tin blank magazine 11 is recessed to oneside of the work table 12. Tin blanks are supplied to the work table 12through a series of flexer rolls, which are not shown. Disposed underthe work table 12 is the feed bar 13 which is supported laterally onrolls 16. The feed bar 13 has a series of dogs 14 affixed along thelength of the feed bar. When the feed bar 13 moves forward, in the dimotion of A to B, the dogs 14 project above the level of the work table12 and are held in that position by springs 17. When the feed bar movesbackward, in the direction B to A, the dogs 14 retract below the levelof the work table 12 and pass under a tin blank which rests on the Worktable 12.

The drive link 18 is affixed to the feed bar 13. Drive rod 21 isrotatably atached .to drive link 18 and to the arm 23, by the pin 22.Arm 23 is composed of upper and lower members which may form an integralarm or be separate parts keyed to the pin 24. Arm 23 rotates about thefixed pin 24, which is mounted on the frame 25. A universal joint 27connects the lower end of the arm 23 and the crank arm 26. A crankdrive, which will be described in greater detail hereafter, supplies arotational motion which is transmitted to the arm 23 by the crank arm26. The arm 23 converts the rotational motion of the crank into areciprocating motion, which is transmit ted through the rod 21 and link18 to the feed bar 13. The elements described in the foregoing paragraphmay generally be described as the link means. Their function is toconvert the rotational motion of the crank drive into reciprocatingmotion, and to transmit the motion of the crank drive to the feed bar12.

FIGURE 2 illustrates in detail the preferred modified epicyclic crankdrive utilized to produce the dwell motion in the feed' bar mechanism.The stationary crank housing 31 is pinned to the frame 32 by the pin 33.The frame 32 encases the drive shaft 34. The drive shaft 34 rotates thecrank mechanism. 'Bearings 36 and 37 support the drive shaft 34. Thestatic-nary housing 31 and the rotating hub 38 are provided with an oilseal 39. Gear 41 is pinned to the stationary housing 31 by pins 42 and43. The gear 41 doe not rotate with shaft 34. The shaft 34 passesthrough an opening in gear 41 and is separated from it. The hub 38,collar 47, planetary pinion gear 46 and crank shaft 48 rotate with shaft34. The collar 47 and hub 38 are keyed to the shaft 34 by the key 49 andgear 46 and crank 48 are housed in the collar 47.

Planetary pinion gear 46 meshes with stationary gear 41. The planetarygear 46 is aifixed to the crank shaft 48, which is supported by bearings51 and 52. The crank arm 26 is rotatably connected to the crank shaft 48and rotates on bearing 53. Retaining ring 54 holds the crank arm 26 onthe crank shaft 48.

The crank shaft 48 revolves about the shaft 34 and at the same timerotates within bearings 51 and 52. The revolution of shaft 48 isproduced directly from shaft 34 through the collar 47 and hub 38 whichhouse the crank shaft 48 and are keyed to the shaft 34. The concurrentrotation of crank shaft 48 is induced through intermeshing gears 41 and46. The planetary gear 46 is rigidly mounted upon the shaft 48 and theintermeshing of gears 41 and 46 causes the shaft 48 to rotate as theplanetary gear 46 orbits the stationary gear 41.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section through the shaft 34, stationary gear 41and planetary pinion gear 46. FIG- URE 3 illustrates in detail therevolving of the planetary gear 46 about the stationary gear 41 and therotation of shaft 48 and planetary gear 46 around their axis. Thestationary gear 41 is pinned to the housing 31 at 42, 43, 44 and 45. Theshaft 34 rotates within stationary gear 41. The collar 47 and crankshaft 48 are keyed to the shaft 34 by key 49. Thus, the rotation ofshaft 34 causes the crank shaft 48 and the planetary gear 46 to revolveor orbit about the stationary gear 41 in a clockwise direction. As theplanetary gear orbits the stationary gear 41 the action of theintermeshing gears causes the planetary gear 46 and shaft 48 to rotateclockwise about its axis. I

The shaft 48 is composed of two sections having uncommon axis. It couldalso be formed by crank pin 483 being directly eccentrically attached tothe gear 46. The entire shaft 48 rotates clockwise Within the bearings51 and 52. That portion represented by 48A rotates concentrically, andthe eccentric pin, represented by 48B, rotates eccentrically.

The motion of shaft 48 and its construction may also be understood byreference to FIGURE 4, which is a vertical section view through theshaft 48B of FIGURE 2. The shaft 34 is fixed to the hub 38 and collar 47by the key 49, and all rotate clockwise. As the shaft 34 rotates, theshaft 48 rotates on its axis driven by the intermeshing gears 41 and 46.The portion of the shaft designated 48A thus revolves or orbits in aconcentric circle about the shaft 34 while it rotates or spins upon itsaxis. The eccentric crankshaft pin 48B is similarly revolved about theshaft 34; but, it does not follow a concentric circle. The offset of theaxis of shaft 48A with respect to the axis of crank shaft pin 488 causescrank shaft pin 48B to rotate eccentrically, i.e. about a remote axis.

The dual motion of crank shaft pin 48B causes the periodic dwell of thefeed bar 13. The motion of the major cycle of the crank pin 48B, i.e.revolution of crank pin 48B about shaft 34, and the rotational motion ofcrank pin 48B about the axis of 48A combine to hold the arm 23 in asubstantially stable position for a period of the major cycle of thecrank. During the time the arm 23 is stable and not oscillating aboutthe pin 24, it is apparent that the feed bar 13 will dwell.

It is important that a period of dwell in the cycle of the feed bar 13be timed to occur prior to the point of impact between the dogs 14 ofthe feed bar 13 and the tin blank so as to decrease the velocity of thefeed bar at the time of impact. The dwell period may be followed byrapid acceleration of the feed bar 13, but this will not increase thevelocity of the feed bar 13 at the time it contacts the tin blank. Thecritical factor is that the dwell period be arranged to reduce thevelocity of the feed bar at the time it engages the tin blank, therebyreducing the impact and preventing crimping and distortion of the tinblank.

Upon reading the foregoing description of the modified epicyclic crankdrive and its utilization to decrease the velocity of the feed bar dogsat the time of impact against the tin plate, the precise manner ofcausing the dwell to occur at the proper time in the crank cycle will beapparent to those of skill in the art. However, as a guide, it ispointed out that the length of offset between the axis of the shaft 48Aand the eccentric crank pin 48B is dependent upon the radius ofrevolution of shaft 48A, the vertical displacement of the feed bar 13from the crank pin 43B, and the gear ratio between the stationary gear41 and the planetary pinion gear 46. These specific dimensions will varywith the machine. The period of dwell in the preferred embodiment is 30.The dwell period is set to terminate when the dogs are about .085 inchbehind the tin blank. The exact gear ratio and displacement of the crankpin 48B from the axis of the shaft 48A, for any machine and anyarrangement of the crank drive and link means can be calculated usingvelocity vectors and techniques known in the art.

As pointed out above, commercial can body makers, using a reciprocatingfeed bar, and the line associated with the body maker are currentlydesigned to operate optimumly at about 400 cycles per minute, andgenerally at a lower rate for cans four inches or more in height. A bodymaker, using a feed bar drive of the same design as the preferredembodiment described above (which included high speed antifrictionbearings and similar modifications to prevent breakdown at higherspeeds) will operate at 600 cycles per minute or more without crimpingor distorting the tin plate from the impact of the feed bar dogs.

After the feed bar picks up the tin blank it accelerates rapidly due tothe dwell period. The rapid acceleration and deceleration of the feedbar while carrying the can blank may cause the tin to fly i.e. losecontact with the feed bar dogs. This problem can be overcome through theuse of positive stops at the stations, hold-downs, and other techniquesknown in the art for positively positioning the tin plate at thestation.

Referring to FIGURE 5, which illustrates the general operation of thewing mechanism, the wings 61 and 62 are pivotally mounted on the pin 63and concealed pin 64. The horn 66 of the can body maker fits within thearc of the wings 61 and 62. The lever arms 67 and 68 form a part of thelink means transmitting power to the wings 61 and 62. Lever arm 67 ispivotally mounted upon pin 69, and lever arm 68 is pivotally mountedupon pin 71. The lever arm 67 actuates the wing 61 through theconnecting member 72, and the lever arm 68 actuates the wing 62 throughthe connecting member 73. The wings are supported in a stationaryposition by attaching member 74 to an overhead support (not shown).

Crank rod 76 is attached to lever arm 67 by the bolt 77. Slot 78 permitsthe attached end of the crank rod 76 to be moved laterally along thelever arm 67 so as to vary the are described by the pivotally mountedlever arm 67. The other crank rod 79 is similarly attached to the leverarm 68 by the bolt 81, and the lever arm 68 is provided with a slot 82to permit the attached end of the crank rod 76 to be moved laterally.

The crank rods 76 and 79 are actuated by the modified hypocycloidalcrank drive. Separate crank drives may be provided for each rod, or thepower from one crank drive may be transmitted to both drive rods 76 and77 through suitable link work means. The operation of the wing drivemechanism will be described with reference to the right wing 61 and itspower train. It should be understood that the left wing 62 operates inexactly the same manner and in unison with the right wing 61. As shownin FIGURE 5, the crank pin 83A is near the bottom of its cycle, and thewing 61, which is actuated by the rotation of crank pin 83A, is in aclosed position. As the crank pin 83A travels 180 to the top of itscycle, the lever arm 67 pivots upon the pin 69 and thereby opens thewing 61. While the wings 61 and 62 are in an open position, above thehorns 66, a can blank is moved onto the horn 66 under the wings 61 and62. The blank is held in position by the stop 70. The wings 61 and 62then close around the horn 66 and the horn expands, forming the flat canblank into a cylinder. The folded, overlapping edges of the can blankare interlocked at the bottom of the horn and a hammer (not shown),strikes the folded edges to form a seam. Wings 61 and 62 release thecylinder and the horn 66 contracts to release the cylinder so thatanother can blank may be moved under the wings to be formed into acylinder.

As explained early in the application, in the prior art, to allow timefor the can blank to be inserted under the wings, and for otheroperations to be performed, the wings were raised a substantial distanceabove the elevation of the can blank. The impact of the wings againstthe can blank often bend the can or moved its position on the horn. Inthe present invention, a dwell motion is incorporated into the crankdrives and 85. The dwell motion causes the wing 61 and 62 to raise justabove the elevation of the top of the horn 66, and hold so that the canblank may be inserted under the wings. The wings 61 and 62 then closearound the can blank and the Wings strike the can blank at a velocitylower than that normally produced by a given cycle speed at that pointin the cycle, thereby reducing the impact of the wings against the canblank.

FIGURE 6 illustrates the preferred embodiment of the modified epicycliccrank drive used to produce dwell in the cycle of the wings. Thestationary crank housing 84 is attached to the frame 86 of the can bodymaker by the screws 87 and 88. The frame 86 houses the drive shaft 89,and the drive shaft 89 is supported by bearing 91. The stationaryhousing 84 is provided with gear teeth 92.

Mounted upon the crank shaft 89 are rotating hub 94, planetary gearcollar 96 and planetary crank 83. The collar 96 and the hub 94 are keyedto the shaft 89 by the key 97 so that all three rotate with the shaft89. An oil seal 100 is provided between the rotating collar 94 and thestationary housing 84. Planetary crank 83 is provided with gear 98,which is positioned to mesh with stationary gear 92 as the drive shaft89 rotates. The planetary crank 83 is supported within the collar 96 bybearings 99 and 101.

As the planetary crank 83 revolves about the shaft 89, it concurrentlyrotates within bearings 96 and 101 in response to the action ofintermeshing gears 98 and 92. The crank 83 is composed of two sectionshaving uncommon axes. The crank pin 83B is positioned eccentrically uponthe shaft 83A. Thus, as the shaft 83A concurrently revolves about shaft89 and rotates about its axis the crank pin 83B prescribes a secondminor crank motion. The concurrent motions of the major and minor crankcycles combine to produce a dwell motion at predetermined periods duringthe major crank cycle. This dwell motion is, of course, imparted to thewings 61 and 7 62 through the link means connecting the crank drive andthe wings. In general, it will be appreciated that the embodimentillustrated in FIGURE 6 operates upon the same principles enumerated forthe embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 2, except that FIGURE 6 utilizes aninternal gear means 92.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the dwell motion of thecrank pin 333 results in periodic dwell in the major cycle of the crankpin 833. It is important that the period of dwell imparted to the wings61 and 62 by the crank drive 35 be timed so that the wings hold justabove the elevation of the can blank, so as to decrease the velocity ofthe wings at the time they contact the can blank.

As in the case of the feed bar mechanism, the period of dwell, theamount of off set in the eccentric and the gear ratio of the crank drivefor the wings will vary with the machine. These factors can becalculated by those skilled in the art for any type machine into whichthe modified epicyclic crank drive is incorporated. In the preferredembodiment of the wing drive mechanism, the period of dwell is 90. It isnot essential tthat the dwell be absolute; the wings may flutter duringthe period of dwell, so long as they do not touch the can blank. Thepreferred distance between the wings and the can blank at thetermination of the dwell period is about .187 inch.

It will be appreciated that no attempt has been made herein to describethe complete can body maker. The complete machine consists of successivestations for flexing, knurling, notching, crimping, forming, closing andsoldering the can body. Its operation is well known in the art, and therelationship of the feed bar drive and wing drive to the whole machineis apparent from the described embodiments. The various operations ofthe can machine are generally run off one or more main drive shaftswhich run the length of the body maker. In the particular model utilizedto illustrate the present invention there are three drive shafts (two ofthes are not shown) and the power to actuate the crank drive of the feedbar mechanism is taken off the right shaft (herein shaft 34). Thisembodiment specifically illustrates the relationship between the feedbar, work table and the modified crank drive used to produce the dwellin the feed bar. This invention is not limited to a machine employingthree shafts; the power take off for the crank drive and the position ofthe crank, link work means and feed bar can be arranged to suit theparticular machine.

The preferred modified epicy-clic crank drive is particularlyadvantageous in that it may be incorporated into existing crank drivefee-d bar mechanisms and wing drive mechanisms of can body makerswithout extensive modification. Thus, at relatively little expense theoutput of the machine is increased by 50% or more.

The invention has been described with reference to a tin can body maker,but it is applicable to other machinery employing a reciprocating feedbar or wing drive mechanism of the general type described. Neither isthe applicability of the invention limited to machines for making tincans; other sheet metal and sheet material may -be used.

While the invention has been described with reference to a particularlypreferred embodiment, it should be understood that these are onlyillustrative and not intended to limit the scope of the invention.Accordingly it is intended that variations and modifications which fallwithin appended claims be included.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A feed mechanism for advancing a sheet metal work piece through aseries of operations along a work table which comprises: reciprocatingfeed means for striking said work piece; a link means, said link meansbeing capable of converting rotational motion into reciprocating motionand transmitting said reciprocating motion to said feed means; amodified crank drive comprising: a

8 drive shaft; a revolving, rotating crank shaft, said crank shaftdefined by a crank gear and a crank shaft pin positioned eccentricallyto the axis of said crank gear; a stationary gear positioned to meshwith said crank gear; means for drivingly interconnecting said driveshaft and said crank whereby the revolution of said drive shaft causesrelative orbital movement of said crank gear with respect to said driveshaft and causes concurrent rotation of said crank shaft pin about theaxis of the crank shaft gear so that the link means connecting saidcrank pin and said feed means imparts a dwell to said feed means priorto the time the feed means strikes the work piece.

2. An apparatus comprising: a reciprocating feed means positioned tostrike a sheet metal work piece resting on a work table and advance thework piece through a series of operations; a link means for transmittingrotational motion into reciprocating motion; a modified crank drivecomprising: a drive shaft, a crank shaft d-rivingly connected to saiddrive shaft, said crank shaft defined by a pinion gear and crank shaftpin, said crank shaft pin being positioned eccentrically on said piniongear and having an axis parallel to the axis of said pinion gear; astationary gear positioned to mesh with the pinion gear as the driveshaft revolves the crank in relative orbital movement whereby the crankshaft pin is caused to concurrently rotate about the axis of the piniongear; link means connecting said feed means and said crank drive so asto convert the rotational motion of said crank into reciprocating motionand transmit said reciprocating motion to the feed means.

3. In a machine for forming can bodies from sheet metal blanks by movingsaid blanks through a series of operations, the improvement in thereciprocating feed means for advancing said blanks which comprises: amodified crank means for driving said reciprocating feed means whichcomprises: a first shaft; a second shaft, said second shaft trained tomove in an orbit concentric from an axis remote from the axis of saidsecond shaft; an external planetary gear keyed to a fixed ring gearwhereby the revolution of said first shaft causes relative orbitalmovement of said second shaft concentrically with respect to said givenaxis and concurrent revolution of said second shaft in timed orbitalmovement with said second shaft with reference to said given axis.

4. In a machine for forming can bodies from sheet metal blanks byadvancing said blanks through a series of operations, the improvement inthe reciprocating feed means for advancing said blanks along a worktable which comprises: a modified crank means for driving saidreciprocating feed means which comprises: a drive shaft; a planetarycrank comprising a first member and a secand member having an axisuncommon to said first memher, said first member trained to rotateconcentrically about said second member; means for drivinglyinterconnecting said drive shaft and said planetary crank whereby therevolution of said drive shaft causes relative orbital movement of saidcrank shaft with respect to said drive shaft and causes concentricrotation of said first member about said second member in timed orbitalmovement to impart to said feed means at a time just prior to the feedmeans striking the blank.

5. In a machine for forming can bodies from sheet metal blanks byadvancing said blanks through a series of operations along a work table,the improvement in the reciprocating feed means for advancing saidblanks which comprises: a modified crank means for driving saidreciprocating feed means which comprises: a drive shaft; a revolving,rotating crank shaft, said crank shaft defined by a crank gear and acrank shaft pin positioned eccentrically to the axis of said crank gear,said pin having an axis parallel tothe axis of said crank gear; astationary gear positioned to mesh externally with said crank gear;means for driviingly interconnecting said drive shaft and said crankwhereby the revolution of said drive shaft causes relative orbitalmovement of said crank gear with respect to said drive shaft andconcurrent rotation of said crank shaft pin about the axis of the crankgear in timed orbital movement to impart to said feed means a dwell at atime just prior to the feed means striking the blank.

6. In a power train for driving a feed means constrained to reciprocatein a linear path, the improvement which comprises: a first crank; 21second crank mounted on the throw of said first crank; meansinterconnecting the throw of said second crank with said feed means,said connecting means being capable of converting the rotational motionof said second crank into reciprocating motion of said feed means; meansfor driving said first crank; means for driving said second crank intimed relation to the revolution of said first crank whereby the throwof said second crank is caused to move in predetermined relation withrespect to the throw of said first crank, whereby a dwell is effected inthe movement of said feed means at a time just prior to thereciprocating feed means striking a Work piece.

7. In a power train for driving a reciprocating feed means of a can bodymaker, the improvement which comprises: a modified crank drive; a linkmeans, said link means arranged to connect said modified crank drive andsaid feed means so as to cause said feed means to reciprocate inresponse to the revolution of the crank drive; said modified crank drivefurther defined by, a first crank, a second crank mounted on the throwof said first crank, an external planetary gear keyed to a ring gear toconcurrently rotate in timed orbital movement with the revolution ofsaid first crank so that the concurrent motion of said cranks impart adwell to the reciprocating feed means at a predetermined time during itscycle.

8. In a machine for forming can bodies from sheet metal blanks theimprovement in the power train of the wing drive mechanism whichcomprises: a modified crank means for driving said Wings whichcomprises: a drive shaft; a planetary crank comprising a first memberand a second member having an axis uncommon to said first member, saidfirst member trained to rotate concentrically about said second member;means for drivingly interconnecting said drive shaft and said planetarycrank whereby the revolution of said drive shaft causes relative orbitalmovement of said crank shaft with respect to said drive shaft and causesconcentric rotation of said first member about said second member intimed orbital movement to impart to said wing means a dwell during aperiod in the cycle just prior to the wing means contact-ing the sheetmetal blank.

9. In a power train for driving the Wing mechanism of a can bodymaker,the improvement which comprises: a modified crank drive; a link means,said link means arranged to connect said modified crank drive and saidwing means so as to cause said wing means to open and close in responseto the revolution of the crank drive; said modified crank drive furtherdefined by, a first crank, a second crank mounted on the throw of saidfirst crank, means for causing said second crank to concurrently rotatein timed orbital movement With the revolution of said first crank sothat the concurrent motion of said cranks impart a dwell to the wingmeans at a predetermined time during its cycle.

10. A modified crank drive means for imparting a dwell motion to thefeed bar mechanism and wing drive mechanism of a can body maker at atime just prior to v the wing mechanism contacting a can body, whichcrank drive means comprises: a first shaft; a second shaft, said secondshaft being trained to move in an orbit concentric from an axis remotefrom the axis of said second shaft; means for drivingly interconnectingsaid first shaft with said second shaft whereby the revolution of saidfirst shaft causes relative orbital movement of said first shaftconcentrically with respect to said given axis and concurrent revolutionof said second shaft and timed orbital movement of said second shaftwith reference to said given axis.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,736,935 11/1929Navarre 113-113 2,360,762 10/1944 Conrad 74-52 2,614,520 10/1952 Allen7452 2,676,799 4/ 1954 Fletcher 7452 3,060,880 10/1962 Laxo 1131153,100,470 8/1963 Wolfe 113113 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD J. HERBST, Examiner.

1. A FEED MECHANISM FOR ADVANCING A SHEET METAL WORK PIECE THROUGH ASERIES OF OPERATIONS ALONG A WORK TABLE WHICH COMPRISES: RECIPROCATINGFEED MEANS FOR STRIKING SAID WORK PIECE; A LINK MEANS, SAID LINK MEANSBEING CAPABLE OF CONVERTING ROTATIONAL MOTION INTO RECIPROCATING MOTIONAND TRANSMITTING SAID RECIPROCATING MOTION TO SAID FEED MEANS; AMODIFIED CRANK DRIVE COMPRISING: A DRIVE SHAFT; A REVOLVING, ROTATINGCRANK SHAFT, SAID CRANK SHAFT DEFINED BY A CRANK GEAR AND A CRANK SHAFTPIN POSITIONED ECCENTRICALLY TO THE AXIS OF SAID CRANK GEAR; ASTATIONARY GEAR POSITIONED TO MESH WITH SAID CRANK GEAR; MEANS FORDRIVINGLY INTERCONNECTING SAID DRIVE SHAFT AND SAID CRANK WHEREBY THEREVOLUTION OF SAID DRIVE SHAFT CAUSES RELATIVE ORBITAL MOVEMENT OF SAIDCRANK GEAR WITH RESPECT TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT AND CAUSES CONCURRENTROTATION OF SAID CRANK SHAFT PIN ABOUT THE AXIS OF THE CRANK SHAFT GEARTO THAT THE LINK MEANS CONNECTING SAID CRANK PIN AND SAID FEED MEANSIMPARTS A DWELL TO SAID FEED MEASN PRIOR TO THE TIME THE FEED MEANSSTRIKES THE WORK PIECE.